Shattered
by Imkevk
Summary: When Nikki get's sick, everyone's life gets turned upside down
1. Chapter 1

Shattered

This fic is written in author's point of view.

I don't own summerland or any of the characters used in this story.

Mostly written around Nikki's character.

Some chapters around Bradin.

Summary : When Nikki gets sick , everyone's life is turned upside down.

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-Chapter 1

Wednesday morning

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Nikki was lying in her bed , awake , thinking about how her life had changed the past six months.

It al had started when her parents had died in that flood.Then she and her brothers , Bradin and Derrick , had to move to California with their Aunt Ava.

Now they lived in a house that they shared with Johnny , Jay and Susannah.

And even though , the situation had started with a bang , it was all good now , considering.

Derrick had grown very fond of Johnny and was finally making some friends and enjoying himself on the baseball team.

Bradin had gotten over his crush on Erica and his bad behaviour was gone too.

He didn't need a girlfriend to be happy , she often heard him say.

He was content by helping Jay out in the store ,and he was rapidly becoming a very good surfer.

And Nikki herself , well she was slowly recovering.And she had Cameron to thank for that.

Cameron had been a great friend to her ,and slowly she and Cameron were working towards a relationship.

Suddenly she found herself interrupted from her thoughts by Ava yelling : 'Nikki , breakfast'.

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Nikki jumped out of bed , but as a wave of dizziness overtook her , she staggered and sat back on her bed.

"Wow , I got up too fast".Slowly she made her way downstairs and to the kitchen.

As she came downstairs , everyone was already sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hey sweetie , how did you sleep?" Ava asked.

"Fine , thanks"

Nikki poured herself some orange juice.And quietly she began to eat her breakfast.

Ava said : "Okay everyone , I've been thinking.It's been a while since we all did something together.And I was thinking maybe we could have a picnic Saturday on the beach.

What do you guys think?"

Everyone liked the idea.

Soon , breakfast was over and everybody had gone his own way.

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Nikki was walking over to Cameron's house , they had agreed to go for a walk and then maybe a swim.

All of a sudden , Nikki felt really tired.She looked around and saw an empty bench.

Nikki sat down and took out her mobile phone , a welcome present from Johnny and Jay.

She called Cameron . "Hey Cam , it's me" "Hey , Nikki , when are you coming over?"

"Well , actually I was hoping I could take a rain check .I don't feel so good and I was going to stay home and go to bed"

"Oh , yeah sure.Do you want me to come over? I'd make a great nurse you know"

Nikki smiled."No thanks , but I'll call you tomorrow." "Ok , bye Niks"

"Bye , oh and Cameron , don't call me Niks".

With that she slowly got up and walked home.

When she got home , she immediately went upstairs towards her bedroom and crawled into bed.

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-

When Nikki opened her eyes , she saw that it had already gotten a bit dark outside.

She jumped up and looked at her alarm clock 19.45pm.

"No way , it can't be. I slept all day. Guess I was really tired"

Slowly she got up , but to no avail , a wave of nausea passed through her and quickly she ran towards the bathroom.

"Thank God , I have a private bathroom" she thought.

Nikki made her way downstairs and she saw Bradin and Derrick watching tv.

She missed hanging out with her brothers , especially Bradin , but ever since they had moved to California , she found herself spending less and less time with them.

Oh well , Saturday would be her change to have some quality time with them.

-

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She walked outside and sat on the swing looking at the stars.

When she was little ,she and her dad would watch the stars and try to count them.

God , how she missed him. And her mom.

Tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

She heard someone coming up behind her and startled she turned around to find Bradin looking at her.

Seeing the already forming tears , he quickly walked over to her and without any words said , he pulled her in his arms and hugged her.

Nikki knew that Bradin missed his parents too , yet he didn't show it a lot.

Bradin pulled back from the embrace and looked at his little sister.

He kissed her on the forehead and said : "I love you sis".

And with that he went back inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Saturday morning

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Nikki slowly got out of bed , ignoring the dizziness and pain that spread through her body.

She really didn't feel so good.

The past two days she didn't do anything but sleep and even after almost 14 hours of sleep a day , she still was exhausted.

She wanted to sleep all day , but she knew she couldn't. Today was the "family pick nick" , like Aunt Ava called it.

"God , I'm so tired." Nikki went to her bathroom and slowly undressed and stepped into the shower.

After her shower , she made her way downstairs where everyone was already packed and ready to go.

"About time young lady , we were ready to check upon you" Susannah joked.

Nikki forced a smile and Ava said : "Well everybody ready?"

The whole group left the house and headed towards the beach , and looking forward to a day of fun.

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As the group arrived on their spot on the beach , Nikki couldn't help but admire the beauty of the ocean. This really was a good idea to have to the pick nick here.

Suddenly two hands covered her eyes and said : "Guess who?"

Nikki didn't have to guess twice as she turned around and saw Cameron with a huge smile on his face.

She hugged him and looked at his face and said : "Cameron , what are you doing here?"

"Your aunt invited me.Is that okay with you?"

Nikki turned around and saw aunt Ava looking at her and Cameron ,w hen she saw that Nikki was looking at her , she just winked.

"Of course it is" she said and together they joined the group for lunch.

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Two hours later almost all the food was eaten , and everyone was enjoying the soft breeze of the wind.

That was until Jay jumped up : "I have an idea , let's play some beachvolley. Ava , derrick , Susannah and me against Johnny, Bradin, Cameron and what do you say?"

Nikki didn't feel like playing. She felt dizzy and tired.

But seeing as how everyone liked the idea she didn't want to be the only not playing.

Slowly she got up , hoping that no one would notice how tired she was.

Soon the game started and everyone was playing at his best , except Nikki.

She couldn't believe how hard it was for her to keep standing.

"Nikki , come on, you could at least try " she heard Johnny say.

As she looked at him , everything went blurry. She staggered. The last thing she heard was Bradin asking : "Nikki , are you all right?" and then everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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Bradin heard Johnny say : "Nikki , come on , you could at least try".

As he looked at his little sister , he was surprised to see her so pale.

She didn't look good.

"Nikki , are you all right?" he asked.

And then to his horror , he saw Nikki staggering and fainting.

"NIKKI!" he yelled and he ran to his sister.

Everyone stopped playing and ran to Nikki.

Bradin reached his sister first and tried to wake her up.

Aunt ava kneeled down beside him.

"Bradin , move out of the way , sweetie ." Not wanting to start an argument , he moved out of the way.Derrick was standing next beside him and they both watched how Johnny and Ava were trying to wake up their sister.

Jay was calling an ambulance , and Susannah was fetching a water bottle from the pick nick basket. Bradin saw Cameron standing aside , looking pale and worried.

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After what seemed an eternity , the ambulance arrived and as they were loading Nikki into the ambulance , Derrick had started crying.

But as much as Bradin wanted to comfort him , he just couldn't.

He didn't know what to say , and he too was worried sick.

He watched as aunt Ava got in the ambulance with Nikki and as the ambulance took off , he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was really wrong.

-

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Bradin was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital.

As soon as the ambulance had taken off, everyone including Cameron had rushed home and they had followed in Johnny and Susannah's cars.

He was watching as Derrick and Johnny were playing with a deck of cards Johnny had brought along.

Jay and Susannah were talking to each other in lowered voices and then there was Cameron.

He was sitting on a chair , staring into space.

Bradin smiled.Cameron really seemed to care a lot about his little sister

He was a good guy.

Bradin was erupted from his thoughts when his Aunt Ava entered the waiting room.

Everybody got up and surrounded her.

Johnny asked : "How is she?"

"Well , they took some blood and examined her.Now we'll have to wait."

Ava looked at Bradin and Derrick. "If you want , I can take you to her"

Derrick looked frightened at the idea , so Ava kneeled down and said : "Sweetie , you don't have to..You can stay with us." Then she looked at Bradin who simply nodded.

Bradin wanted to see her.

"Come on , I'll take you".

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Bradin followed his aunt through the hospital.Finally they stopped.

"She 's sleeping right now.The tests made her really tired."and with that she left.

He entered the room and for a second he stopped breathing.

-

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There she was , his little sister , lying in a hospital bed.

He couldn't believe this was Nikki , the one who he teased when she was little.

She used to be so strong.And now so pale and fragile.

He sat down on a chair enxtto her bed and took her hand in his.

And with their hands still linked , he too fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nikki opened her eyes and found herself in a strange white room.

Immediately panicking , she tried to get up.

She first noticed all the monitors around her and then she saw him.

Bradin was holding her hand while sleeping in a chair.

He looked so peaceful.

She decide to wake him up so she could finally know where she was , or how she had gotten here in the first place.

"Bradin , Bradin , wake up".

Upon hearing his sister's voice , Bradin jumped up.

Seeing his sister awake , he tightly embraced her.

"Oh god Nikki , you scared us."

Nikki pulled out of the hug and looked at her brother.

"Bradin , where am I? What happened?"

"You mean , you don't remember what happened? Any Of it?"

-

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Bradin sighted , and looked at Nikki : "We were playing beach volley when all of a sudden you fainted. We called an ambulance and then they took you to the hospital"

Nikki remained quiet en then she asked : "Do they know what's wrong yet?"

"No , we haven't seen a doctor yet. Look I'm going to go tell the others you're up.

They are all very worried about you." And with that he left to tell the news of Nikki's awakening.

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In minutes Nikki found herself surrounded by the group of friends.

Derrick was sitting on her bed , while Cameron and Bradin each sat on a side of the bed.

Jay said : "You know , Nikki , if you didn't want to play beach volley , you could have just said so."

Everyone laughed. However their laughter soon faded as the doctor came in the room.

Surprised at so many visitors , he turned to Ava.

"I'm sorry Miss Gregory , but I'm afraid that everyone , except you are going to have to leave.I want to talk to you and Nikki alone , if you don't mind."

The group of friends left , leaving Nikki and Ava looking at the doctor with anticipation.

The doctor motioned for Ava to sit down.

"Do you know what's wrong with me?"Nikki asked.

"I'am afraid so.We've examined your bloodwork and apparently your white blood cells are dangerously low.Nikki , I'm sorry to have to tell you this.But you have leukemia"

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Author's note : thanks everyone for the positive reviews .And I promise there will be a chapter dedicated to Cam/Nikki coming up soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nikki couldn't breathe. She just couldn't.

Why was this happening to her?

Leukaemia? She was only fourteen years old.

She looked at aunt Ava , who was standing there just as shocked as she was.

The doctor had started talking again , but even though she tried ,s he just couldn't grasp his words.

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Seeing Nikki wasn't listening , the doctor spoke gently to Ava : "Miss Gregory , I'm really sorry , but we are going to have to talk about treatment possibilities as soon as possible"

I'll give you all some time to digest but tomorrow morning I'll came back if that's okay with you?"

And with that he left the room.

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Nikki turned to her aunt and said : "Aunt Ava, if you don't mind , I really want to be alone for a while".

Ava hesitated but seeing the look on her niece's face , she gave in.

Nikki saw in the corners of her eyes that her aunt had left the room.

Now she was all alone.

Her thoughts drifted to her brothers. Bradin and Derrick.

Oh God how would they react?

They had suffered so much from their parent's death.

Especially Bradin. He had lost control for a little while and just now he finally was content with his life.

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Nikki found herself looking at her right-hand , where she saw the charm bracelet Cameron had given her a week ago.

Cameron , the boy she liked and secretly loved. She hadn't been ready to say to him that she loved him and now.

Now she might not even had the change to say it.

Surely he would support her , but would it be out of sympathy or because he too felt something for her?

Maybe it was just better if she shut him out.

And on that moment , Nikki made a decision.

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She wasn't going to die. She was young and strong and she was going to fight this decease .

But she was going to do it alone. She didn't want help from her family or any of her friends.

Nikki didn't want them to ever see her tears or her pain.

She was going to shut everyone out of her life. Just for now.

And with that decision in the back of her mind ,Nikki soon fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Bradin couldn't take it anymore.

All this waiting. What was taking so long?

Why did he have to leave her room anyways?

Nikki was his sister after all.

-

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Finally , he was aunt Ava approaching. Quickly , he ran to his aunt :

"What's going on? Is Nikki ok?"

Ava looked at him and immediately he knew it was serious.

Meanwhile , Derrick was standing next to him and everyone had grouped around him and Ava.

"Nikki' sick. Real sick , Bradin"

"How sick ?" Derrick asked.

Ava hesitated for a little bit , but finally said : "Nikki has leukaemia"

-

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For a minute , Bradin felt like he had just been punched in his stomach.

No it couldn't be. His sister dying?

Bradin felt himself going weak in the knees and suddenly he felt a supporting arm around him.

He looked up to see Cameron , standing next to him and supporting him.

He looked at the young boy's face .A face etched with worry , sadness and despair.

Bradin turned away , he couldn't deal with it.

"Bradin are you okay?" Ava asked.

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He opened his mouth but his attention went to Derrick , who had started crying.

He kneeled down and embraced his little brother.

"Its' gonna be okay , Derrick."

"How do you know" Derrick asked.

Bradin wanted to say something, something that would make everything okay.

But he couldn't , so he said the first thing that came into his head : "I just do."

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Standing back up , he faced his aunt and said : "I want to see her"

Without waiting for an answer , he started walking towards Nikki's room

Before entering , he took a deep breath.

He opened the door and silently walked in.

His sister was sleeping but she must have heard him come in , because she opened her eyes and looked at him.

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Not knowing what to say , he sat on her bed and hugged her.

Expecting her to start crying , he was surprised when she pushed him away.

"Leave" she said .

"What? Nikki , I"

"Get out , she interrupted him , I don't want you here" and with that she turned her back to him.

And for the second time in six months , Bradin felt shattered.


	7. chapter 7

Chapter 7 & 8

Nikki was standing in her room , looking at her reflection in the mirror

A month had passed since Nikki had been diagnosed with leukemia , and her life had been completely changed.

She was as pale as a sheet and she had lost weight .

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-

So far , she already had 3 rounds of chemotherapy and she was so tired.

Nikki slowly sat down on her bed and looked out the window.

Outside , people had no idea what was going on with Nikki.

They were playing volleyball on the beach , some were surfing.

Each and everyone of them enjoying the Californian sun in their own way.

Nikki sighted .How she wished she was out there.

Instead of being stuck in her room.

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-

At least she was home and not in that dreadful hospital.

It had taken a lot of convincing but she managed to persuade them.

She remembered how the doctor refused to let her go and the whole family backing up his opinion.

Aunt Ava telling her : "Sweetheart , here in the hospital , they can take really good care of you"

Nikki had turned to the doctor and said : "If you won't let me go home , I'll stop the treatment"

And seeing she was serious , the doctor agreed , but she had to promise to come to the hospital every two days for a check-up.

-

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The whole family had tried to help her deal with her illness , but she had shut them out.

One by one.

She knew Bradin had taken her rejection the hardest.

How he had cried when she pushed him away in the hospital. Begging her to let him help her.

Angry she punched her pillow.

Couldn't he see , that there was nothing he could do?

No one could help her.

-

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Laying down on the bed , she remembered how Cameron had tried to talk to her a few days ago.

"Nikki , you can't do this.There are your family , there are just trying to help you"

"They can't Cam.Don't you get that?"

Frustrated Cameron had left her room and he hadn't called since.

She didn't need him anyway.She didn't need anyone for that matter.

Nikki looked at the picture on her nightstand.

It was taken almost a year ago.Her parents had taken her brothers and herself to the local circus. They had so much fun that day

And now , her parents were gone and she herself found herself fighting to survive.

Nikki could feel the tears well up in her eyes.

Angry , she wiped them away. She hadn't shed a single tear yet since the diagnosis and she sure as hell wasn't going to start now.

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Suddenly , someone knocked on her door.

She could hear Bradin calling : "Nikki , it's me , are you awake?I'm coming on?"

Not wanting to deal with him , she turned her back so she faced the window and pretended to be asleep.

She heard Bradin approaching .He stood next to her and bend over.

Nikki felt his hand stroking her hair and before he heft her room , he whispered in his ear.

"I wish you would just let us help you Nikki .We 're all here for you."

And with that he was gone.

Leaving Nikki staring at the window , desperately trying to fight of the unshed tears that were threatening to stream down her cheeks.


	8. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Bradin closed the door of his sister's room and quietly walked downstairs.

He sighted She still wasn't letting anyone in.

They had all tried to help her, but she just kept shutting them out.

Especially him.

Susannah and Aunt Ava had tried talking to her , but to no avail.

Johnny and Jay didn't know very well how to deal with the situation , but they still tried to help Nikki or to talk wit her , but so far they too hadn't gotten much luck.

Derrick didn't seem to understand the situation , but he could tell he too was hurt whenever Nikki ignored him.

And then there was Cameron. He had tried talking to her , but the last time he tried , he had left angry and since then he hadn't called .

Bradin couldn't blame him though. It was a difficult situation and Nikki's behaviour wasn't making it any easier.

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When he reached downstairs , everyone was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Any luck ?" Aunt Ava asked. "No , she was asleep"he answered.

"There must be something we can do?" Susannah asked.

"Just let her be" Jay said. "When the times comes , she'll need us.And then we'll help her, but for now , let's let her deal with this on her own."

"I don't like it" Bradin said .

"None of us do sweetheart , but maybe Jay is right. She knows we're here for her"

And with that , they tried to have some breakfast , each of them wondering when Nikki would finally need their help.

And when that time would come , would they be strong enough to help her?

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After breakfast , Bradin went for a walk on the beach.

He needed to clear his head. It was hard to imagine that only a year ago , he was so happy.

His parents were still alive and life had been so good for them.

Now he was struggling to cope with events around him.

Looking at the waves , he wished that they could take away all the pain and sorrow that he and his siblings had to deal with lately.

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"Bradin" someone yelled. He turned around to see Cameron running over to him.

"How is she?" the young boy asked.

"The same" he answered.

Both boys say down on the sand .

Cameron started : "Look , I'm sorry about not calling or showing up for a few days. But the truth is , I don't know what to do or say to her. I mean , she's shutting me out and I don't know how I can help her."

"Cameron , it's okay. I get it. You don't have to apologize. It's hard for me too.

I look at her and I see a shell. A shell of the old Nikki.

And it hurts. It hurts that she shuts me out. Whenever I needed her , she was always there for me. And now , now that she needs me , she won't let me help her.

It's frustrating , but there's nothing I can do about it."

Bradin and Cameron looked at each other and both knew what the other was going through.

They sat there , looking at the waves , for a long time.

Both boys thinking about the girl they loved , each on their own special way.


	9. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Nikki was getting ready to go the hospital , for another round of chemotherapy.

How she hated those.

She knew that in the end it could save her life , but in the meantime she despised it.

The effects it had on her immune system were nothing to take lightly.

She felt nauseous and tired all the time.

Her appetite had gone completely.

Checking for the last time if she was ready , she headed downstairs where aunt Ava was ready to get her to the hospital.

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The car drive to the hospital was quiet , and seemed to drag on forever.

Nikki was looking outside the windows , looking at the people they drove by.

Aunt Ava had tried to start a conversation , but after a while of not answering , aunt Ava had stopped and just drove quietly to their destination.

Nikki could see the hospital in the distance and she already felt nauseous.

Finally the car pulled the parking lot and Nikki stepped out , bracing herself for another round of poison , as she called the chemo.

-

Six hours later

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Nikki was lying in a hospital bed waiting for Aunt Ava to pick her up.

She was fighting to keep her eyes open .

This round of chemotherapy had been the hardest so far.

She felt as though she was hit by a train.

Her whole body was aching and every movement hurt.

The door opened and Jay came in..

She could see he was surprised by the state she was in.

"Hey kiddo , your aunt couldn't make it , so I'm your chauffeur for the day" he joked.

Smiling softly , she slowly got up and tried walking to the door , but her legs weren't working the way they should.

Feeling her legs buckle beneath her , Nikki prepared herself for her crash with the ground, but instead she felt someone lifting her and carrying her.

Too tired to look up , she knew it was Jay , and after he placed her back in the car , she let herself fall asleep.

Knowing that the next time she would wake up , she would already be in he own bed.

That thought helped her drift in a peaceful and dreamless leep.


	10. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Bradin was sitting on the couch watching cartoons with his little brother Derrick.

He glanced a the clock : 5pm.

Nikki should be getting home soon he thought.

Since Aunt Ava was stuck in a meeting , Jay had offered to go pick her up.

He wondered how she would be feeling?

The last times she got home , she would directly go to her room and she wouldn't came out till the next morning.

-

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Suddenly he heard the door slam and immediately turned around and what he saw made him want to break down and cry.

Jay was supporting Nikki , who obviously had just waken up from sleeping in the car , and he could tell she was weak.

She had never looked so pale before and it scared him.

Quickly getting up , he ran over to Jay and his sister , trying to help her.

When he tried to help her , she slapped his arm away.

"I'm fine .I don't need your help , Bradin. Nor yours Jay" and with that she pulled out of Jay's grasp.

Carefully she made her way upstairs , but he could see that every step was hurting her.

When she finally disappeared in her room , he turned around and asked Jay :

"What happened? Why is she in such a bad state?"

-

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"I don't know. She was like this when I picked her up from the hospital.

I guess this time , she just didn't respond that well to the chemo"

With that Jay , sat down on the couch , next to Derrick.

Bradin looked up , maybe he should check on her.

But he knew she would just shut him out.

So he too sat down with Jay and Derrick , hoping that the childish cartoons would take his mind if his little sister.


	11. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Nikki was lying in her bed , looking at the ceiling.

When she had moved in this room , she and Cameron had decorated the ceiling with fluorescent stars that would shine in the dark.

It was 3am in the morning and she couldn't sleep.

Every movement made her body ache and eventually the pain had woken her up.

But looking at the shining stars above her , she found some comfort.

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-

Last night had been really difficult for her.

The chemotherapy had worn her out.It had taken a lot of energy to climb the stairs to her bedroom.

Jay and Bradin had offered to help her upstairs , but she had refused to let them help her.

Why would they want to help her , they had better things to do?

It wasn't as if she couldn't do that alone.

Agreed , it had taken her a half an hour and a lot of pain but she had managed.

Bradin had looked at her with sympathy.

God how she hated that look.

She had been given that look a lot lately.

From her family , from her friends , even from people she didn't even know.

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She realised that everyone thought of her as weak , and the thing is she was weak.

But they didn't have to know that.

Because of they knew she was , they wouldn't leave her alone for one minute.

Especially Bradin.

Even though sometimes they had their differences , the two had bonded ever since their parent's death.

And she knew that her behaviour had hurt him more than the others , but she just couldn't let him see her pain.

Even though the thought that she was hurting his feelings right now , made her feel sick to her stomach.

-

-

Nikki's thoughts soon drifted from her brother to another boy who had a special place in her heart , Cameron.

She hadn't heard from him in almost a week.They had had an argument and since then no sign of him.

Nikki missed him. It was hard for her to admit , but she did so desperately wanted him to call her. Just to hear his voice , or to know that he cared for her.

Her illness had given her some time to think .

And not too long ago , she had finally realised she was in love with him.

But Cameron's wasn't there for her anymore.

She had driven hem away , just like she was driving her family away from her.

Nikki knew that what she was doing was slowly killing her inside.

But the thought that her family and friends saw her weaknesses , was worse than the fact that she was driving everyone away.

And with thought in mind , she finally fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Nikki slowly opened her eyes and it took some time to register where she was.

Slowly she recognized her room and her surroundings.

She saw it was already bright outside , so gently she turned around to look at her alarm clock : 10am.

Nikki figured the house would be empty by now.

Jay , Johnny , Susannah and Ava were working , Derrick was at Martha's house

and Bradin was probably surfing.

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-

Nikki tried to get out of bed , but the pain caused by her sudden movement forced her to lay back on the bed.

The tears that had sprang in her eyes , were threatening to fall down her cheeks , but Nikki wiped them away forcefully.

After a couple of minutes , she decided to give it another try.

Carefully she got out of bed and stood up.

She walked over to the bathroom but stopped when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

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-

The mirror had been a leftover from Aunt Ava and Susannah's previous work.

It was absolutely beautiful.

It was a very tall mirror , so she could see her whole body. The frame was made out of wood that reminded her of a shipwreck.

She had been very happy when Susannah and aunt Ava had given her the mirror.

Nikki had often used the mirror for her own personal catwalk.

But now , gone was the catwalk.

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-

Instead , she was confronted by the image of a young girl who was as white as a chalk .

She couldn't believe how thin she had gotten.

Her pyjamas were hanging off her and she could see that her collarbone was sticking out a little.

She turned her face away from the mirror and went into the bathroom.

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When Nikki returned from the bathroom , she once again stood in front of the mirror , and in her hand she had a brush.

Gently she started combing her hair , and she started remembering how her mother had combed her hair when she was little.

Her mom would do her hair every morning and every night she would come in her room and comb it , so it wouldn't be all messy and in knots.

She missed those moments.

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All of a sudden Nikki was awakened from her thoughts , when she saw locks of hair falling on the ground.

She looked at her brush and she saw that her brush was full with hair.

Her hands touched her head and without any hard effort she held plucks of her hair in her hands.

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And at that moment , reality sunk in.

She was going to die. She was only fifteen years old , she already had lost her parents and now she too was going to die.

Nikki looked at the mirror and her anger took over.

She grabbed the mirror and threw it to the ground.

The glass broke in a thousand little pieces and she could feel some of the glass shatters braze her skin.

Nikki started sobbing and fell to the ground.

She let all her grief and sorrow out.

And just as she thought the pain would over come her , she felt two strong arms surround her.

Supporting her from all the bad things in the world.

Keeping her safe and calm in a whirlwind of emotions.


	13. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Bradin was sitting in the living room , watching TV.

There was a program about surfing , he definitely didn't want to miss.

No matter how interesting , Bradin couldn't keep his attention on the program.

His thoughts drifted to his sister , lying in her room upstairs.

He was worried about her.

Ever since she was diagnosed with leukemia , Nikki had managed to keep everyone in distance.

No matter how tired or weak she had gotten , she hadn't let anyone help her.

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Bradin got up from the couch and he walked towards the closet.

He opened the door and grabbed the box that had belonged to his parents.

Now more than ever , he wished his mom and dad were here.

They would know what to do.

Going through the box , he stumbled upon a photograph.

He grabbed the photo and studied it.

It must have been taken right before the flood.

Clutching the picture to his chest , Bradin lowered himself to the ground.

"Why was this happening? How could God put them through this?"

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Suddenly he heard a noise upstairs

He immediately stood up and put back everything back in the closet , all except the photo.

Bradin grabbed it and put in on the dresser .

Taking a few steps back , he studied it.

"Perfect " he said.

Knowing that Nikki was awake , he had figured the noise had come from her room , he walked into the kitchen.

He grabbed some oranges and started to make orange juice.

It was one of the few things Nikki had been able to keep in.

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All of a sudden he heard a loud crash upstairs , and without hesitating , he ran upstairs.

Within seconds , he had reached her room and without knocking , he opened the room and his heart broke when he saw what was going on.

Nikki was sitting down on the floor , sobbing uncontrollably.

And the large mirror laid on the ground in front of her , shattered in a hundred little pieces.

"Oh Nikki" he said and ran over to her , embracing her in a hug.

Nikki , feeling the embrace , started to struggle , wanting to escape from his embrace.

Determined no to let her go , Bradin held on with all his might.

And just when he thought when he had to let go , Nikki stopped struggling.

She started sobbing and then Bradin heard her say : "I'm going to die"

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Hearing those words coming out of Nikki's mouth , made him feel the worst feeling ever and he too couldn't control his tears.

So now , brother and sister were sitting on the bedroom floor , surround in pieces of glass and broken dreams.

Holding on to each other with all their might.

Knowing that their lives would never be same as before.


	14. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

After what seemed like hours , Nikki finally stopped crying.

She relaxed and snuggled into her brother's arms.

She had known it was Bradin from the moment he embraced her.

Hearing him trying to sooth her with his calming words : "Ssshh Nikki , it will be okay"

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Nikki looked up to see her brother's face.

She could tell he too he had been crying , judging by the redness of his eyes.

Bradin stared lovingly at his sister.

He smiled reassuringly and kissed her on the forehead.

Nikki looked at him and said :

"I'm sorry." Bradin was about to interrupt but she motioned him to be quiet.

"No Bra , I mean it. I'm sorry for everything.

For my behavior. How I treated you , Derrick , Cameron and everybody else.

I guess I was just scared.

Scared of dying but most of all I was scared of the effects it would have on you and Derrick.

I didn't want to hurt you. I'm so sorry" and with that , tears started to roll down on her cheeks.

Bradin wiped them away with his thumb.

"Hush Nikki , it will be okay. I know you didn't want to hurt us. It's okay really"

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A couple of minutes had passed and Nikki carefully stood up.

Bradin quickly jumped up and supported her.

Nikki looked around and sighted : "I guess I better start cleaning up the mess"

"No , it's okay .I'll do it. Why don't go downstairs? Get something to drink or something to eat?"

Too tired to argue , Nikki just nodded .

Slowly she made her way down to the kitchen.

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Seeing Bradin's failed attempt to make orange juice ; she started to clean up a bit and she poured herself some water.

Half an hour later , Bradin had finished cleaning everything up.

Together they sat in the living room , watching TV.

Nikki felt really tired

Everything that had happened today , had worn her out.

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She yawned and of course Bradin noticed.

"Nik , maybe you should get some sleep. Do you want me to take you to your room ?"

Nikki looked at her brother and smiled

"Actually I want to sleep here on the couch"

Bradin just nodded and prepared to get up , but he was held back when he felt his sisters' hand on his.

"Bradin , could you please stay with me? I don't want to be alone"

He looked at his sister's eyes and without any words being said , he laid himself on the couch.

Nikki scooted over and snuggled herself in his arms.

"Bradin ?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"I love you" and with that she fell asleep.

Bradin looked at the girl in his arms and whispered "I love you too little sis , more than you'll ever know.

And for the first in a very long time , Bradin fell in a peaceful slumber


	15. Chapter 16

Hello Everyone

I'm sorry it has taken me a very long time to update.

But my son has been very sick so I have spent every minute taking care of him.

I have changed the previous chapters' lay out so that it makes it much easier to read them.

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I will be posting updates very soon .

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Lots of love

Imkevk


	16. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

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AN : I'm so sorry for the long time I haven't updated. I am now working on the stories as fast as I can . So check up for updates once in a while. 

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It had been two weeks since Nikki's emotional breakdown and things had changed a lot.

Fortunately things had changed for the better.

Nikki had started to let people in , bit by bit.

But the one person she had completely opened up to was Bradin.

She often spend her nights in his room not wanting to be alone anymore.

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Nikki smiled when she thought about Bradin. He had been happy to be her rock of her strength , knowing that she needed his support.

He never once complained when she spent another night in his bed.

Whenever she felt the need to confide in someone , he was there.

Nikki smile soon faded when she thought about her illness.

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Her relationship with everyone in the house may had gotten better , but she was feeling sicker and sicker every day.

It had come to the point that Bradin had to carry her everywhere she wanted to go , even to the bathroom.

Nikki hated being so dependant on his help. She had often thought of shutting herself off again , but she was too sick to try and she knew that she needed as much people's help and support as she could get.

Cause right now , Nikki didn't believe that she would survive this.

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Her doctor had told her that chemotherapy would have it's toll on her but she never had imagined the extent of its damage.

Her body was so thin and her complexion was as white as chalk.

Every fiber in her body hurt and her hair had fallen out completely.

Aunt Ava and Susannah had offered to buy her a beautiful wig , but she had refused.

She wasn't ashamed of being sick and she didn't care that people knew.

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Nikki was distracted by Derrick running down the stairs and jumping in the couch next to her.

The sudden movement caused another pain jolt through her body and she grimaced.

Noticing the pained look on her face , Derrick immediately felt guilty.

"I'm sorry Nikki , I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's okay squirt , I know you didn't mean to."

With that Derrick visibly relaxed.

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Nikki sighted. She knew that Derrick had felt a bit neglected lately.

Not that he had complained or anything , but she could tell by the way he sometimes looked at her and Bradin.

Deciding that she would spend the day with her little brother , she turned to Derrick and said :

"Hey squirt , what would you think about you and me spending the entire day together? You can choose what we'll do , as long as it's not too exhausting".

Derrick smiled the biggest smile he could and started thinking of what to do.

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Nikki watched as her brother came up with the perfect idea : "How about we just watch some DVD's and eat popcorn? You know , like we used to do before Mom and Dad died?"

Nikki happily obliged because she was actually too tired to do anything else than watch tv.

So that's how half an hour later Nikki and Derrick were watching The Jungle Book while wolfing down popcorn.

And for that moment , Nikki felt very grateful.

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	17. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

It had been two months since Nikki's emotional breakdown .

Nikki had endured several chemo's treatments and it still wasn't sure if she was going to survive this horrible disease.

Nikki's illness had not only taken a toll on herself , but also on the other occupants of the house.

The once cheerful house was now filled with an anxiety that would not vanish until the final outcome was known.

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As Nikki was sitting on the beach , she could not stop remembering all the events that had happened to her lately.

Her relationship with everyone in the house had improved. The only relationship that had not been repaired , was the one with Cameron. Nikki knew that she had hurt him but she wasn't confident enough to pick up the phone and sort everything out.

But she did miss him . Her buddy , her rock and the one she loved him.

During the past few months she had finally realised what Cameron really meant to her.

And at one point she knew that she was completely and utterly in love with him.

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But she couldn't tell him , not with her illness luring constantly over her shoulder.

He would just take pity on her and maybe support her , but she knew that he couldn't love her , not when she was like this.

Feeling tired , she slowly got up and walked back to the house.

Upon entering the house , she saw that there was one message on the answering machine , so she played it.

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_Good afternoon , this is doctor Carver calling about Mrs Nikki Westerley. Could you please call my office as soon as possible? I believe you have my number? _

Panic surged through Nikki's body. What would the doctor say? That she wouldn't survive this and that her time was running out ?

Not wanting to let her family hear this , she immediately deleted the message and while shaking she picked up the phone and called her oncologist.

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After talking to him for about 5 minutes , she hung up the phone. She had made an appointment to go to the hospital in half an hour for further examination , so they would know if the treatments had worked.

Checking her watch , she quickly got dressed and left the house.

With every step she took , her heart was beating faster. She was scared. What if the treatments had worked , how much time would she still have?

And as she entered the hospital and prepared herself for the test , she silently prayed that everything would be okay.

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**Authors' Note :**** I would like to dedicate this story to my beautiful son , who has been my main reason to continue with my life and my love for writing stories. Even though he is only two and a half years old , he has been my support system after my divorce.**

**My precious little boy , know that I will always love you and that you will always be the love of my life**


	18. Chapter 19

Bradin was starting to get worried. And he wasn't alone. It had been thee hours since Jay had come home from work , finding the house abandoned .

No sign of Nikki , no note , nothing.

So Jay had started calling everyone , hoping that she was with one of them.

However , after half an hour , it was clear that no one knew where Nikki was.

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So that's why , everyone was sitting in the house, clearly worried and stressed.

Aunt Ava was still calling everyone she could think of , asking if they had seen her.

Minute after minute passed and Bradin was feeling more and more afraid.

Where could she be ? She was sick and weak.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Johnny opened the door and in walked Cameron.

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Cameron had been the first one , Bradin called. Even though he knew that the chances of Nikki being with him , were small, even non-existent , he had to take the chance.

Cameron had promised to make a few calls and look around for her , but seeing the worried and scared look on his face , Bradin knew that it was to no avail.

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Cameron moved towards Bradin and sat next to him. No words were said as they both knew that no word could bring them solace or peace of mind.

Only one person could erase their worries and fears.

And that person was nowhere to be found.

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"Okay , that's it. I'm calling the police" Aunt Ava said..

And just as she was about to pick up the phone , the front door slammed shut.

Tired footsteps could be heard and when Bradin looked up , his heart stopped.

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There in the hallway stood Nikki. And even though everyone was relieved to see her , no one said anything , no one dared to move and they all looked at the sick little girl.

For Nikki was far from okay. She had tears screaming down her face and was sobbing uncontrollably.

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Nikki looked at everyone in the room and was surprised to find Cameron there. Cameron was looking at her with worry , and love in his eyes.

But as much as she loved him , he wasn't the one she needed right now.

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The one she needed was looking at her with question marks in his eyes. Eyes full of anticipation , commitment , worry and love. Eyes that burned on her soul and body.

And without a single word , she ran to him and threw herself in his arms. Holding on to him , for she knew that he would be there for her. No matter what.

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And as Bradin held his tear-stricken sister in his arms , he knew that something had happened.

For as his sister was too strong to break without any reason. And the fear that had spread through his body , had not vanished but was instead fuelled by his sister's heartbreaking cries.


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